How long do people have to work before they can receive SSDI?

Most people in Georgia need to work in order to earn an income and pay for their monthly living expenses. However, as people know, they do not necessarily take home all of the income they earn from each paycheck. They may have health insurance premiums taken out, also money for health saving accounts, money for retirement accounts and everyone has taxes taken out. One of the taxes that are taken out of people’s earnings is a Social Security tax, which is used to fund the social security program.

The Social Security program pays for various benefits, one of which is Social Security disability. This program provides money for people who are injured or sick and unable to work due to those injuries and illnesses. It is a very important program, but not everyone who is disabled automatically qualifies for the benefits. People seeking social security disability must have been contributing to the program by working and paying the tax for a certain period of time prior to the injury.

In order to qualify, people must have work credits. These are earned by earning income. People receive one credit for every $1,360 that they earn and can earn a max of four credits per year. Generally, in order to qualify for Social Security benefits, people must have at least 40 credits, 20 of which must have been earned in the 10 years immediately preceding the injury or illness. However, there are different rules for younger individuals who may have not been able to accrue 40 credits at the time of the disability.

There are many people in Georgia who suffer severe injuries and illnesses each year. These injuries and illnesses can have both physical and financial ramifications for people. They can incur medical expenses to treat the injuries and illnesses and also lose income due to not being able to work. People in this situation may be entitled to social security disability benefits to help with the loss income, if they have sufficient work history. Experienced attorneys understand all these rules and may be able to help one through the process.

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